The Gay Law of Chastity

It’s been about three weeks since I met with my bishop and sat numbly in his office while he told me I can’t take the sacrament because I have a girlfriend. Yes, I know it was silly for me to have even the slightest hope of remaining worthy to take the sacrament while I, a woman and lifelong Mormon, have a girlfriend. Like many LGBTQIA members, I’ve read the Church’s stance on homosexuality dozens and dozens of times: “The experience of same-sex attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is” (mormonsandgays.org). I was raised to see same-sex relationships as wrong and wicked. I’ve been told time and time again that the only temple worthy union is between a woman and a man.

Yet the official stance didn’t fit with my understanding of loving Heavenly Parents and an inclusive Plan of Happiness. Why was I raised to want an eternal companion and family above all else, then told that my “special mission” was to remain celibate for life? Why did my Church criticize the Catholic Church for asking their priests and nuns to be celibate, using the argument that “it is not good for man [or woman] to be alone” (Moses 3:18, Abraham 5:14), and then tell me that celibacy was my only option if I wanted to remain a worthy member? These questions swirled in my mind as my bishop forbade me to take LDS communion. I tried to maintain my composure. Maybe, I thought, he simply misunderstood:

“So, you’re saying that even if my girlfriend and I were to only hold hands with each other—no hugging, cuddling, kissing, or anything else—then the simple fact that I was pursuing this relationship with her would mean that I was breaking the law of chastity?”

“Yes. As a woman, if you are actively pursuing a relationship with another woman then you are breaking the law of chastity.”

I felt my heart sink. Here was a man whom I had trusted with my secrets. I had told him that I am queer and have a girlfriend. For the most part, he was understanding. I asked him tough questions about the Church’s stance on gay marriage, and I was surprised that instead of calling me to repentance for questioning, he had agreed with many of my beliefs. It was for these reasons that I was even more hurt by his assertion that I was unworthy to take the sacrament, even if my girlfriend and I kept the law of chastity that is given to heterosexual members.

At this point I need to take a break in my narrative to explain my goals for this post. First, I hope to share an authentic, heartfelt experience about what it’s like to be a gay Mormon in love. Second, I will address the difference between the gay law of chastity and the straight law of chastity. It’s often fruitless to make a case for whether or not the LDS Church can abide gay marriage or not—either you believe it can or you believe it can’t. It’s not my intent to change your mind. Instead, I want to simply share my experience as a fellow human, and hope that it can open a useful space for conversation and introspection. Regarding the second goal, I believe it’s high time we admit that there is a huge difference between the law of chastity that we expect straight members to follow and the law of chastity we expect gay members to follow. As I will explain later, they are not the same and they are not equally difficult to follow. For this reason, I will refer to the two separate laws of chastity as the gay law and the straight law.

Back to the scene in my bishop’s office. I could feel my heart sinking as he told me I had to break up with my girlfriend in order to be worthy to take the sacrament. I had entered his office so full of hope; for about a year and a half I had guilted myself out of taking the sacrament because I was ashamed of my homosexual feelings, desires, and actions. Through prayer, study, introspection, and clinical counseling, I had begun to escape my self-hatred and accept myself as a queer daughter of God. I began to see my sexuality as a blessing, and my relationship with my girlfriend as wholesome and healing. I’d had great hope that if I discussed my emotional and spiritual journey with my bishop, he would encourage me to take the sacrament again so I could have the added strength that came from weekly renewing my baptismal covenants.

“Would you like to take the sacrament?” my bishop asked.

I didn’t know how to answer such a question. Did he honestly think I was enjoying the burden of not taking the sacrament? Was he trying to use the ordinance as a bargaining chip to make me break up with my girlfriend? Or did he really not understand how much his little question meant to me?

“Not anymore,” I muttered. I didn’t see his response, because I had to leave before the weight of his question crushed me. I thanked him for his time and began to walk out, but he stopped me and asked if we could meet again and talk. I tried to focus on his question, but I couldn’t. My life, my belief in a benevolent God, and my trust in sympathetic church leaders was caving in, and I had to escape.

There’s a quiet little alleyway behind the church that’s just private enough for a desperate young woman to call her girlfriend without fear of anyone overhearing. I called my girlfriend (for the sake of the story we’ll call her Helena) and sobbed while she tried to convince me that I was still a worthy and loved daughter of God. I sure didn’t feel like I was.

As I left the alleyway and made my way home, I remember walking along some of the very busy streets that I live by and thinking about how simple it would be to step out into the traffic: not only could I escape a homophobic culture that forced me to choose between my faith and my love, but I might even be able to rid myself of my sexuality. After all, many Mormons—my mother included—tell me that they believe homosexuality is only a trial of this life, and that just as God takes away our defects when we die, he would take away my homosexual desires and replace them with heterosexuality. I’m sure they thought they were comforting me by assuring me that my trial was temporary. But like many gay Mormons, hearing that I could get rid of my homosexuality by killing myself only made suicide look more appealing.

Miraculously, my despair only lasted for a couple days. I somehow refrained from throwing myself headlong into traffic for long enough to realize that if I was going to continue along my path as a Mormon who refused to choose between her religion and her girlfriend, I needed more support than going to counseling once a month and complaining to Helena over the phone whenever I was upset. As wonderful as Helena and my counselor are, I couldn’t maintain my spiritual, emotional, and mental health if I only had two other people to talk to. Luckily, I remembered hearing about Wendy Montgomery, a gay rights activist who also happened to be a Mormon. In a moment of extreme boldness (or awkwardness, really) I contacted her on Facebook and sent her a long message about my situation. I wish I could spend the rest of this post talking about how Sister Montgomery took me under her wing and showed me a welcoming world of loving Mormon members who are also LGBTQIA allies. But, like a Book of Mormon prophet, I don’t have room to share “even an hundredth part” of the hope, love, and reassurance that these Mormon allies bring to my life. I will say this: if you are a gay Mormon or ally and you need a community who will accept you and love you for who you are, trust me. There are people who would love to help you.

I’d like to say that this is my happy ending. After all, it’s great to not be dead and to have found a community of allies. But is that really a happy ending? I’m still afraid of being public with my sexuality and my relationship for fear of very probable retaliation. I still am afraid to speak up when my family members fume about Satan and his minions fighting against “traditional” marriage. And I am still forbidden from taking the sacrament because I refuse to live by the irrationally strict gay law of chastity.

My experience with the gay law of chastity has led me to some very dark places. My heart aches every time I think of another gay brother or sister who seriously considers leaving the Church or killing themselves because they cannot live up to its impossible demands. The LDS Church says that they welcome and love gay members, but given the current gay law of chastity, this only seems to be lip service. If we really want to show gay members that we love them and respect them as fellow children of God, we need to consider the following:

1) The gay law of chastity isn’t clearly explained. Think about it. How many lessons and talks have you heard on the straight law of chastity? How many articles have been printed in the New Era and Ensign to help members understand the purpose and requirements of the straight law of chastity? Now ask yourself how many times you’ve had a lesson on the gay law of chastity. Really, the only information we have about the gay law of chastity is what is at mormonsandgays.org—“The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is”—and the section on homosexual behavior in the Church Handbook: “If members feel same-gender attraction but do not engage in any homosexual behavior, leaders should support and encourage them in their resolve to live the law of chastity and to control unrighteous thoughts.”

This may seem to be clear-cut, but is actually quite confusing. How is a gay member supposed to separate their sexuality from the rest of their identity? What if a gay young man decides he likes to bake cupcakes, dance ballet, wear pretty bracelets, and otherwise deviate from twentieth-century Western masculine gender roles? According to the gay law of chastity, if these behaviors are a result of his homosexuality, then he is breaking the law of chastity. What if my sexuality plays a role in the way I walk and carry my body? Again, just by moving my body I would be breaking the law of chastity because I was acting on my sexuality. Do we realize how absurd it is to ask someone to not act on their sexuality? Essentially, we are telling gay Mormons that if they can’t pass for straight, if they can’t completely mask the gay, they are unchaste. Furthermore, we are also implying to all members that sexuality is a button that can be turned on and off, or a part of our mind that we can cut out and kill if it doesn’t act the way the Church wants it to. This view of repressing homosexuality is dangerous because it encourages members to see their sexualities as evil or problematic instead of natural and healthy. By teaching our gay members that their sexuality is a bad thing that should be ignored or destroyed completely, we reinforce unhealthy views of sexuality and damage the sexualities of all members.

2) It isn’t universally enforced. In some regions and countries, bishops tend to be a bit more lenient in their interpretation of the gay law of chastity, and are kind enough to give the same law of chastity to all of their ward members, whether they are gay or straight, male or female, rich or poor. Therefore, if an activity would not be against the law of chastity for a heterosexual member (such as holding hands with their significant other), then it would not be against the law of chastity for a homosexual member either. Luckily, my girlfriend lives in one of these regions. However, there are other places in which bishops—like mine—take a stricter approach to interpreting the gay law of chastity, and make it their responsibility to determine whether or not a gay member is “acting on it.” Does it make sense that my personal worthiness as a gay Mormon depends on geographical location? This would be akin to saying that it some geographical regions, YSA bishops encourage dating, while in other regions YSA bishops discourage and penalize it. This is an alarming inconsistency, and surely cannot be a strength to the Church or reassuring to its members.

3) Statistically, the majority of gay Mormons choose not to follow it. This argument is a bit more tenuous than my others because there have been so few reliable, academic studies of the gay Mormon population. I only know of one academic study of gay Mormons: “Exploration of Experiences and Psychological Health of Same-sex Attracted Latter-day Saints” conducted by William Bradshaw, Ph.D. (BYU), Renee Galliher, Ph.D. (USU), John P. Dehlin, M.S. (USU), and Katie Peterson, M.S. (USU). (If you know of any more academic studies of gay Mormons, please let me know about them in the comments.) According to this 2011 study, only 32% of gay Mormons surveyed were celibate, and of those 32%, only 14% were celibate by choice. Some might be tempted to look at these statistics and assume that gay members are just more sexually deviant than straight members. But this viewpoint leads us to judgment, not understanding. If a commandment has an 86% failure rate, then maybe we need to revise the commandment, not chastise gay members for not being “righteous enough.” After all, in Mark 2:27 Jesus teaches that “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” Likewise, Heavenly Father didn’t create a huge list of commandments and then say to himself, “Gee, it’d be great to create some sort of creature that could obey all these.” Rather, He created us—His children—first, and then created commandments that we could all follow, and could improve us and help us grow: “but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” (1 Cor. 10:13). If a commandment has only a 14% success rate, then it does not seem to fall under the category of commandments that everyone can follow and that can help us grow.

4) The gay law of chastity operates on a dangerous all-or-nothing mentality. Many bishops use a slide as a metaphor for teaching the straight law of chastity. The slide metaphor conveys two concepts: first, that there are different levels of physical affection; second, the further you go, the more likely you are to break the straight law of chastity. Part of the wisdom of the straight law of chastity is that it allows unmarried people to show healthy affection in ways that strengthen relationships and let off a bit of sexual steam (let’s be honest). In addition, the straight law of chastity points to marriage as the fulfillment of sexual desires, which is one reason why so many single Mormons are motivated to refrain from sexual relations before marriage. This is a concept that’s missing from the gay law of chastity, because it ensures that gay members have NO hope of fulfilling sexual relationships. In fact, the best metaphor for the gay law of chastity would be a large pit: all levels of affection are breaking the gay law of chastity. If holding hands or flirting brings just as much condemnation as committing adultery or fornication, then there is little incentive for a gay Mormon holding hands with his boyfriend to refrain from premarital sex (besides, I’ve been told that sex is a lot more fun than just holding hands). Surely we don’t mean to teach our gay members that for them, holding hands with someone of the same sex is on the same level as adultery or premarital sex.

5) It’s a double standard, and is not equivalent to the straight law of chastity. For the majority of straight Mormons, the straight law of chastity provides guidelines from dating to courtship to marriage. If used correctly and reasonably, it can help foster healthy relationships, assist in building beneficial companionships, and possibly build a foundation for raising children. On the other hand, the gay law of chastity leads to none of this. In fact, many gay members trying to live the gay law of chastity find themselves in a catch-22: they avoid building friendships and relationships with those of the same sex because they are afraid of falling in love with them, and they avoid building friendships and relationships with those of the opposite sex because they don’t want to lead them on. (Obviously building friendships and relationships is more complicated than this, but this is the general trend that I’ve seen.) Because of this, the gay law of chastity tends to lead to isolation instead of companionship or connectedness. It simply isn’t fair that Mormons of one sexuality are allowed to follow a law that encourages them to love and guides them to fulfilling relationships, while Mormons of other sexualities must follow a law that tells them their love is wrong and leads them away from fulfilling relationships. Furthermore, how can we be sure that the way our culture constructs sexuality (the homo-hetero continuum) reflects the way God has constructed our divine natures?

Something must be done about the gay law of chastity. At the least, we need more guidance from the Church—official guidance explaining how and why the gay law of chastity should be correctly and uniformly followed, so that personal worthiness no longer depends on geographical location. But how do we get this guidance?

The Church listens to its members. If enough members speak up about an issue, it’s only a matter of time before they address that issue. Too few members are willing to speak up about LGBTQIA issues. It is our responsibility to be vocal about the injustice facing our LGBTQIA brothers and sisters, to facilitate conversations about the Church’s stance on homosexuality, and to ask our bishops and stake presidents about why the gay law of chastity is so different from the straight law of chastity. We can’t change the way the Church operates, but we can start the conversation. We can show our Church leaders that our LGBTQIA members are just as worthy of love as any other member.

Sexuality is a fraught issue. Hawaii has just legalized gay marriage, with Illinois likely to follow. These changes come to the great consternation of social conservatives and many Mormons. The rhetoric surrounding the issue is often religious on one side, human rights on the other, with few attempts to bridge the two. Let’s build that bridge now. Let’s bring the conversation home to our own playing field—to our religion, our beliefs, our rights, our homes, our brothers and sisters.

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19 comments for “The Gay Law of Chastity”

Jackie

December 1, 2013 at 9:56 am

I’m sorry about your experience. I am someone that has *unsubscribed* from the religion for reasons that are my own. I still love those in the church and for the framework it provided to me. However, I did too see that consistency is NOT something that the church excels at. These leaders do so much and are expected to make decisions that are really up to their interpretation and sadly based on their own biases that they’ve grown up with. They don’t receive any formal training in counseling. So for that, I do not hold ill feelings. They feel they are doing the best they can. However, as I left I realized that my own spiritual path is between me and God. Not what someone else tells me is the *rule of the day* or what they feel is appropriate for me. I have chosen to subscribe to a God that loves us no matter what. That understands who we are. That doesn’t RULE by guilt and fear. But one who is there to assist as we are here going through this experience we call life. I’m so glad you have found support, love, and understanding. Remember to be true to yourself and your own personal relationship with God and know that no one can take that away from you. Hugs.

Didn’t Christ say, If ye love me, keep my commandments? If you love Heavenly Father you would follow and keep his commandments. It is that simple. Some commandments are hard to follow if we have temptations. but you have your whole life to work on it. Listen to me, it is NOT a sin to be tempted, Jesus was tempted… It is a Sin to act on the temptation…You are not meant to be gay. You are to be straight. Whoever told you that once you die you won’t have homosexual feelings, is completely wrong. Anything you struggle wight in this life, addictions and whatnot. You have all eternity to figure out how to overcome them. We are asked to overcome those trials in this life because we have a body now and it is easier. You can overcome homosexuality. Ask yourself what is it about the same sex that you are attracted to? Figure that out and work on overcoming it. Eventually you can and will overcome it and be able to be attracted to the opposite sex and be married in the temple…. Ultimately we are judged by our God and in the scriptures it says we will not disagree with the judgements outcome.

I’m sorry Ginger that you didn’t understand the authors despair and confusion. I hope you will reflect on what you are suggesting she do. I think we need to keep in mind that Jesus Christ never commented on homosexual relationships. He did tell us not to love one another, and to not judge.

God made some of us gay and some of us straight. Whenever you tell a gay person that God didn’t make them gay, they won’t believe you, because every gay person KNOWS that God made them gay. Most LGBT people know that they can’t ever marry someone of the opposite sex, and would never marry someone in the temple who they were incapable of loving fully. Everybody deserves love in this life, and they deserve respect and acceptance from their families and church. Let’s get out of the business of judging others but support people in determining for themselves what God wants for them.

Christ talked about Sodom in a negative way. So yes, Christ did comment on homosexual relationships. And, remember, He is the ‘God, Lord’ of the Old Testament.

“He did tell us not to love one another, and to not judge.”

He DID tell us to love one another. He DID tell us to judge. We should make (key word here) Righteous judgments.

Leviticus 19:15 says
“… but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour”
John 7:24
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment”
Deuteronomy 1:16
“Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.”

“God made some of us gay and some of us straight. Whenever you tell a gay person that God didn’t make them gay”

I didn’t say God didn’t make them gay. I said “You are not meant to be gay.”

“because every gay person KNOWS that God made them gay. ”
Yeah, everyone goes through different trials. It is like God gives us trials and tribulation to see how we work through it. If we do our best, he judges us and determines if we are worthy enough for exaltation.

“would never marry someone in the temple who they were incapable of loving fully.”

You obviously have not studied the doctrine if you thought that. The church ACTUALLY teaches that gay people SHOULD NOT marry a person just because. Whether they think it could make them straight, or it might make them appear to be straight. The church says if they have no more homosexual feelings toward the same sex, then they can be married.

“Everybody deserves love in this life, and they deserve respect and acceptance from their families and church.”

Of course everyone deserves love, but some people never get that love, (I am not talking about homosexuals in particular, there are people all over the world that aren’t getting any kind of love but at being tortured day in and day out.)

My post could come off harsh, as I am no respecter of persons, as is God Almighty.

The gospel is plan and simple. You either accept it or not. You have free agency. You interpret scripture and teachings how you want it. You do not twist and bend teachings to fit your lifestyle.

Homosexuality is a struggle for those who have it as well as those who have other struggles. A sin is a sin in God’s eyes. Any one sin is an abomination to Him.

God knows our hearts. He is a loving God. He gives us commandments to help guide us to where he wants us to be and that is living with him in the highest glory of the Celestial Kingdom where no unclean thing stands before him.

If you struggle with things in this life, you will rise again and struggle with the same things in the next life whether it be homosexuality, porn addiction, drug addiction, alcoholism, tobacco use, so on and so on. Like I said, you have ALLLLLLLLL ETERNITY to learn, grow, and get rid of any struggle anyone is going through right now.

It doesn’t work to quote the Bible about homosexuality, because all of those citations have been clearly shown not to apply to gay people as we think of them. Furthermore, there are hundreds of commandments in the old testament that we don’t obey, or we would be practicing capital punishment right and left, and endorsing slavery. Christ never said that marriage was between a man and a woman, nor did he comment on marriage at all. If you pick and choose the very few quotations in the bible the seem on the surface to point to gays, you need to do better research of the context. Furthermore you have to put it into the context of the Law of Moses which is not practiced by Christians anymore. Watch this video for a better understanding of where the bible stands on homosexuality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQjNJUSraY

I’m sorry Ginger, but I was just wondering who you think you are to decide who is sinful and who is not. My understanding was that only God can truly judge us and determine our righteousness. Yes, everyone has trials that they need to overcome. Since you are being so vocal about the sins of others, might I suggest that you use the rest of your time here on earth to work on God’s greatest commabdment: to love thy neighbor and to have compassion towards human beings. Because in the end, no matter our sexual orientation, that is what we are, human beings and God’s children.

And Christ said,” Don’t be gay or you will be unchaste”, where? Which of the 10 Commandments is it? I have not heard nor read in the Bible of any such statements.

what I do remember of Jesus’ comments which have been reported in the Bible are that NONE of them was directed against homosexuality—but many told us not to Judge, worry about fixing our own faults before taking on the problems of fixing other people’s. Love them all, they are all (homosexuals too) made in God’s image.

I sympathize with the author. I’m a gay man who has been talking to his priesthood leaders for the last 20 years with various interpretations of church doctrine. (since age 15) Some Bishops have been very understanding of my Same Sex Attraction (SSA) to the point of, “As long as you don’t do porn, masturbate, or engage in actual sex with another guy, you can remain in full fellowship in the church.” Others have been…less understanding.

As one who loves to sing, bake, sew, cook, and take care of kids not to mention my yearning for a long term relationship with another guy with similar feelings and interests (I’ve accepted that sex is out if I want to stay active in the church, which I do), the less understanding Bishops…I have found it hard to want to stay active in the church under their jurisdiction.

All of that said, I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel that I will never be able to deny. So I try to be patient with the less understanding Bishops knowing that they will not stay in their position indefinitely (or if I can move to a ward where they are more understanding, I do) I just remember that they are still human. They see the gospel through the lens of their life experiences and do interpret it that way. This does not make the church any less true.

I’d suggest doing the same. Be patient. Be understanding of the Bishop. Know that he isn’t perfect either. Follow his counsel to the best of your ability knowing that you will be blessed for your faithfulness. I know the “best of your ability” might not be all the Bishop wants, but it is the best you can do and you really can’t be asked to do more than that. After all, the scriptures do tell us that we shall be saved, “after all we can do.”

My humble opinion is with Lucas. People are not put into leadership positions because they are perfect. They are there to learn and grow just as we all are. You have been placed in his path for a reason. It could be for you, him, or both of you. I wish you the best.

Amen, Lucas! Thank you for sharing your experience. I do not struggle with SSA, but as I was reading about the struggle with different bishops interpreting the gospel differently I wanted to reach into the computer and say “Me too!! You’re not alone!!” What I learned from my horrible experiences with a bishop who was harsher than ANY other I’ve dealt with was that it was a trial of MY faith. Which for the record, I failed miserably.

I don’t claim to know God’s will, or what is a sin, but you clarified in the article that things like flirting, kissing, and hand holding are meant to not only release sexual tension, but to lead to marriage. As the church has boldly declared that God’s definition of marriage is that of a man and woman, the church couldn’t endorse any activity that would lead someone down that path to marriage.

Also, I think it’s clear that “homosexual behavior” isn’t when a man wears bracelets. Is that a sexual behavior when a woman wears bracelets? Or the way I naturally walk (I’ve got big hips and thighs… It’s not intentional that I swing my hips… Just the way I was built) while swinging my hips? Nope. But it’s those things that I do that lead to flirting, hand holding and so on. It’s essentially anything that would directly lead to a sexual activity, or probably being done with the intent to lead… At least that seems clear to me. However, I’m not a bishop. It just seemed like you were making it more complicated than it really is.

The concept of “sin” is baggage one chooses to carry. It is not mandatory and I would argue it is not very psychologically healthy. One can still live an ethical, responsible and compassionate life without it.

I am a guest here, So I won’t say any more — just Something to consider.

I realize that SSA is a difficult burden to carry (one that I have had for much of my life) so I am NOT discounting the trial that it is. However, SSA does not relegate, require or consign us to only find joy, peace, fulfillment and marriage exclusively within that context. The assertion that happiness or fulfillment can only be found in a SSA relationship has to be challenged and has to be questioned because it flies in the face of the truths we as members see in scripture (more on that later).

I know this seems harsh and dramatic but so are feelings of suicide that consumed me as a young person and have come up as an adult. I chose to leave those feelings to the “if thy hand offend thee, cut it off” sacrifice. If plucking out an offending eye or cutting off an offending hand was what Christ expected me to do to obtain the kingdom, then I accepted that although I would miss the hand or eye I could get by in life and be fulfilled even if some parts of my life would have to utilize a distinct work around.

Metaphorically speaking I knew there would have to be completely different ways to ride a bike or motorcycle with one hand missing. I would have to discover a new way to calculate depth with a missing eye. It was in the vanity of the SSA community that my attitude found strength. Far too many times I heard the ” born that way” , “unchangeable” mantra which went against my desires to be worthy and a participant in the goal of eternal life and having my own family in this one. I decided to cultivate relationships with and date opposite sex people even in great discomfort and disinterest. Eventually I could feel attraction and appreciation grow there. After serving a mission a bit later than normal I came home and met the person who would become my spouse, in many ways it was a spiritual conviction as opposed to a passionate love as everyone seems to expect and demand.

I know people who accept SSA as inborn or identify with those feelings as being full and complete identity will reject or refuse to consider these comparisons but they can be helpful in living a full life. I dare anyone to go ask someone who is blind, paralyzed or missing an appendage how they feel living a lesser life? It sounds absurd doesn’t it? Sure living without 2 hand or without use of both legs is troublesome and heart breaking at times it doesn’t mean that life cannot be fulfilling or beautiful.

Let’s say for example we look at someone who might be genetically predisposed to being alcoholic and after great struggle they stop the use of alcohol. They may pass by a bar or see the label of their formerly favorite drink and have a nostalgic if not aching recollection of people, places and emotions tied to their days of it’s use. But those genetic predispositions do not compel them to alter their chosen course, to fall or to suddenly view their choice of water and healthy juice as a betrayal of what they were genetically programmed to do. If someone with SSA is inclined to be a parent then there is an indication that there is a hint of what should be a heterosexual desire inside. I know that sounds harsh but every time I felt like I wanted to be a parent but felt SSA was my orientation I felt like that was a betrayal of all my needs being fulfilled by my SS partner. I simply concluded that SSA wasn’t as all encompassing as people claim because I thought that wanting to be a parent when my biological desires would preclude that the Holy Ghost seemed to whisper that I had the capacity to cultivate strong OSA (opposite sex attraction).

A similar experience can happen when one decides to stop “feeding the beast” as I call it with SSA. Having a significant other is part of feeding that beast and I know that’s not easy to accept but it’s like pitching a tent toward a place that is contrary to the Lord’s desires. Pornography, masturbation, fantasizing, deliberate attending of locations where SSA lifestyle is fostered (gay bars and clubs etc…). I know it’s hard to accept what I’m saying and hard to believe that change can happen but it can and I am so grateful that I chose to follow the Spirit rather than the community which told me it was impossible.

The standard by which “cured” is measured is not even on par with any other standard by which other psychological standards are. Anger management is “management” not cured. OCD is a managed disorder not cured.

Just because there may be fleeting moments where my missing hand has ghost itching or feelings it doesn’t mean my change isn’t effective or gratifying and I get pretty offended that people try to say that for me to be considered a success in overcoming SSA I must never have any nostalgic, painful or mirthful moments that cause me to ask for strength to hold to the rod with my remaining but stronger hand.

It’s rather galling how the LDS church takes pot shots at other religions for having professional clergy, as if that’s a bad thing. I don’t think counseling people on vital, deeply personal spiritual matters is something that should be left up to amateurs – which is exactly what LDS bishops are.

Bishops in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be amateurs, but they do their jobs for free. The pot shots you write about may be against those who preach a gospel that is easy on the ears in exchange for money.

In many churches today, a professionally trained ordained minister will tell those who have same-sex attraction that it is ok, that they need not stress over it, that God made them that way and they can enter into a same-sex relationship and even get married to the same sex. Many professionally trained ordained ministers will happily administer the wedding vows in a professional manner- for money.

LDS bishops can’t accept one penny for their labors, even though they spend an average of 20 hours per week dealing with weddings, funerals, and amateur counseling. I’m an LDS bishop and in the past four years I’ve planned, conducted, and carried-out 24 funerals.

We ask the members to donate food to bring to the funeral. On average we feed 75 members of the deceased family. An average funeral will be 250 people, but we have had three funerals with over 600 people. It takes house of planning and it takes most of the day to set-up and cleanup. I personally do the paper programs. I go and visit the homes of the family members before and after the funeral services. Before they pass-away, I am usually in the home or in the hospital. I recently delivered the sacrament to a dear sister who was 107 years old. Our 12-year old deacons typically deliver the sacrament each week to those who can’t make it to church, but I was able to go with them this Sunday. She could barley eat the bread and the water. We knew she was very weak and near the end, so we stayed and visited a while with her. She passed away a couple of hours later. As I held her hand and spoke with her, I knew she was grateful to have someone to help comfort her in her.

Twice I’ve had to visit the homes of families who have lost children in accidents within the hour. Imagine an amateur LDS bishop visiting the home of a friend who just got word, less than an hour earlier, that their child wont be coming home. What would that amateur bishop do? He would pray with them and assure them, as best he could that everything will be ok in the end. Through the resurrection of Christ, we are all assured that we will live again and that we can see our loved ones again. The bishop will lay his hands on their heads and, through the priesthood power, bless them in the name of Jesus Christ.

LDS bishops, like any other humans, are not perfect. But the advantage LDS bishops have is there is a living prophet on earth who speaks for God today. God’s word today, just as it has been since the beginning of time is to multiply and replenish the earth. God ordained marriage between and man and a woman. God does not approve of same-sex marriage. How does an amateur LDS bishop know these things? A living prophet of God has spoken them and we keep-up with what our leaders say and teach.

We don’t condemn those who have same sex attraction, we condemn immorality. We condemn, as lovingly and as professionally as we can, any sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage. We teach that marriage is between and man and a woman. We rely on ancient scripture as well as modern-day revelation. We believe that God lives and that he loves us just as much today as he did thousands of years ago; we believe he still speaks to his children. We believe he follows the same pattern he did in days of old when he told Amos, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, abut he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Please overlook the misspellings and rambling; I’m not a professionally trained minister. And I don’t get paid to write this stuff or preach the word.

There are many loving Bishops who choose empathy toward the LGBT mormons in their midst. They find a way to include them in the ward. They understand the trials they face, and don’t use their role to condemn them or condemn their ‘immorality’. They appreciate that everybody sins, and they make a place in their ward for all sinners. They try to understand that some LGBT people can not live alone or stay alone, and still need a place in their wards. I have met several of these Bishops. I hope you are one of them.

For many LGBT youth the response of their Bishop is a matter of life or death. The church offers them no hope to gay youth. A Bishop who can truly understand what LGBT people are being asked to give up, and who can realize that the vast majority of them can not do this….those Bishops can save lives and save people from despair. The can help keep families from separating. They can help keep parents from rejecting their kids and sending them to the streets as so many Mormon families do with their gay teens.

I am aware of many Bishops who understand this, and who are making their wards a haven for all people in their midst, including the LGBT people who are in same-sex relationships. There are also Stake Presidents who are making these efforts stake-wide. If any Bishop would like to have a conversation with one of the Bishops, I would gladly help arrange a conversation. There are lives at stake in every ward in Zion.